MMA

RAF exec: Dillon Danis not banned after brawl with Khamzat Chimaev

Published

1 month ago

August 9, 2026

RAF exec: Dillon Danis not banned after brawl with Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev and Dillon Danis will both be back on the Real American Freestyle mat despite a brawl taking place in the main event of RAF 10 in June.

Chimaev defeated Danis via pinfall at the event in St. Louis, but Danis appeared to be slapping on a jiu-jitsu choke during the exchange. When the match was over, Danis threw a kick off of his back, Chimaev kicked back, and all hell broke loose with members of both teams swarming the mat.

Following the brawl, RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein provided an update about Danis and when he could return to the promotion.

â€œYeah, you'll see Dillon Danis back in RAF,â€ Bronstein told MMA Fighting. â€œI don't need to ban Dillon because we stepped in. I'll tell you this about Dillon, [and] I work with Dillon, I've worked with Dillon behind the scenes a lot. So has Izzy, and so has our team, and he's very respectful to everybody in our organization, but we did have to deal with certain things with him.

â€œBut I'm not going to say I'm banning him and that we won't see him on the stage, because I do think he'll be back eventually. And, again, for wrestling and everything that he's done with us, he's been nothing but respectful in our organization. Now [the brawl] was something we don't ever want, which he knows, and we've had that conversation, but I do think we'll see Dillon Danis back eventually.â€

Chimaev is already booked for his return to RAF return as he faces former UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley in the main event of RAF Moscow on Sept. 5.

For those expecting to see Chimaev more than that, Bronstein says he'll have quite a bit of wrestling activity before 2026 comes to a close.

â€œHe's also going to have an active run,â€ Bronsteain said. â€œHe'll be wrestling a couple times before the end of the year. â€¦

â€œI'm excited about it. When he walked out the one time he showed up, it felt like the reinvented Undertaker [walkout]. It's probably one of the best walkouts I've seen and compliments to Eric Bischoff and James and that team when they did that, but it was just unbelievable. So I'm I'm personally excited to watch him join again, because I like watching him wrestle and I like watching him compete and he's a great professional, so, we're looking forward to it.â€

MMA

Joe Pyfer dominates Luke Rockhold at RAF 13

Published

7 hours ago

September 18, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Joe Pyfer dominates Luke Rockhold at RAF 13

Joe Pyfer added another UFC middleweight champion to his resumÃ©.

On Friday, Pyfer took on Luke Rockhold in a prelim wrestling match at RAF 13 at the Watsoc Center in Miami, Fla. While neither man has a huge pedigree in wrestling, Rockhold has competed at RAF before and spent weeks training for this bout, but it didn't end up mattering as â€œBodybagzâ€ was simply too much for the former UFC champion.

Known for his physicality in MMA, Pyfer couldn't swing power punches as he does in the cage, but nevertheless brought that power to the RAF mats, quickly dominating the exchanges with Rockhold, who struggled to keep Pyfer from getting body locks at will, which he then used to score takedowns.

Rockhold tried to battle back with a few force-outs, but it was all for naught as he simply couldn't keep up with the younger, more powerful athlete. When Rockhold tried to shoot a double-leg, Pyfer countered, nearly pinning Rockhold outside the circle. Instead, Pyfer amassed too big a lead to overcome, and then forced Rockhold out a few times to get the tech fall.

Rockhold drops to 0-2 on the RAF mat after losing to Colby Covington in his promotional debut.

MMA

RAF 13 live blog: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns

Published

7 hours ago

September 18, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

RAF 13 live blog: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns

This is the RAF 13 live blog for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns, who wrestle this Friday at the Watsoc Center in Miami, Fla.

Chimaev got his start in wrestling, winning Swedish nationals three times in his youth. From there, Chimaev moved to MMA, where he became one of the biggest stars in the sport, winning the UFC middleweight title last year, before dropping the belt to Sean Strickland in May. Since then, Chimaev has returned to his wrestling roots, beating both Dillon Danis and Tyron Woodley in RAF, setting up this match with his former MMA foe.

A former UFC welterweight title challenger and world champion BJJ player, Burns was the first man to give Chimaev a hard fight in MMA, losing a competitive decision to â€œBorzâ€ in 2022. After retiring from MMA in April, Burns is now back to competing in grappling sports and makes his wrestling debut this weekend.

Check out the live blog for Chimaev vs. Burns below.

Chimaev looks significantly bigger than Burns.

Chimaev pressing forward immediately and shoots an early double leg when Burns get to the edge of the circle, scoring a push out. 1-0 Chimaev.

Burns responds with a shot off the whistle, but Chimaev sprawls and shifts to the back, getting a quick two points. Gut wrench from there for back exposure, turning Burns out of the circle. 5-0 Chimaev.

Oh! Burns comes out and powers a double this time, and Chimaev is trying to defend but he's moving backward. Burns keeps driving and gets the takedown! Honestly, Chimaev went to his back outside the ring, so that could've been four, but two points. 5-2 Chimaev.

And Chimaev with a double and quick takedown on the restart, getting two right back as Burns goes out. 7-2 Chimaev

Chimaev with a clean entry on a double-leg, hits the pass by to get the takedown and then another gut wrench for four points. 11-2 Chimaev.

On the restart, neither can gain purchase and the round ends.

Chimaev only needs two and he immediately goes for a low single leg to try and get it, but Burns defends well this time and gets the reversal! Now Burns going for back exposure by going over the top but the ref stops it. 11-4 Chimaev.

Chimaev right after it on the restart and Burns gets snapped down, but ref stops as Chimaev nearly gets a d'arce choke, lol.

On the restart and Chimaev goes from a tie-up to a blast double and gets the takedown, with Burns landing on his back. That should be four points, but Burns' corner challenges. No reason not to, because if it stands, Burns loses. And it stands! Chimaev with the tech fall.

Khamzat Chimaev def. Gilbert Burns via tech fall (15-4)

After the match, Chimaev and Burns hug a lot. Tons of respect between them. Then Chimaev goes to speak with Chael Sonnen.

Chimaev says he's going to L.A. to support Arman Tsarukyan tomorrow. Then he says he's looking to beat Colby to take the title. Then he gives respect to Gilbert Burns, before speaking in Russian, that gets no translator.

MMA

RAF 13 live blog: Luke Rockhold vs. Joe Pyfer

Published

8 hours ago

September 18, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

RAF 13 live blog: Luke Rockhold vs. Joe Pyfer

This is the RAF 13 live blog for Luke Rockhold vs. Joe Pyfer, who wrestle this Friday at the Watsoc Center in Miami, Fla.

A former UFC middleweight champion, Rockhold left MMA in 2022 and has spent the past several years mixing it up across nearly every discipline of combat sports. Rockhold was never a serious wrestler, stopping the sport after high school, but he made his RAF debut earlier this year, losing by tech fall to Colby Covington at RAF 5 in January.

Pyfer, like Rockhold, stopped wrestling in high school, shifting his focus to MMA. That choice seems to have worked out, as â€œBodybagzâ€ is currently ranked in the top-15 of the UFC's middleweight division and coming off a knockout win over former champion Israel Adesanya. Pyfer returns to wrestling to make it two-for-two over former UFC champions this weekend.

Check out the live blog for Rockhold vs. Pyfer below.

Rockhold in shockingly blond hair. He's apparently been training very seriously for this.

Tie up early and Pyfer powers through to get a bodylock. Danger for Rockhold and here comes the throw, two points for Pyfer. Rockhold rolls and there's back exposure but he gets to belly and stalls for the standup. 4-0 Pyfer.

Back on the feet and Pyfer's physicality is an issue for Rockhold who just doens't look like a wrestler. Pyfer barrels into him and forces him out. 5-0 Pyfer.

Rockhold trying to handfight and then shuck through, but can't. Pyfer powers ahead and this time Rockhold uses a whizzer to throw Pyfer out and score. 5-1 Pyfer.

Handfighting in space but nothing for the remainder of the round.

Pyfer pressing the issue to start. He's got much better feet than Rockhold, and that's been the difference. Rockhold's feet are stone. Pyfer gets into a bodylock again but he steps out first as he drives on Rockhold. 5-2 Pyfer.

Rockhold keeps looking to punch through but can't. Now Rockhold shoot his first real shot, deep on double. Pyfer uses the whizzer to toss him though! They land outside the mat, but ref calls takedown and back exposure. 9-2 Pyfer.

Back on the feet and Rockhold is trying to press the issue but it allows Pyfer to get another bodylock and lifts for the finish. Rockhold bellies down. 11-2 for Pyfer.

Now he's sensing the end and Pyfer presses forward, getting another pushout, but somewhere in there Rockhold got another point? I don't know where that happened. 12-3.

And on the restart, Pyfer bumrushes him to get another push out and the tech fall.

Joe Pyfer def. Luke Rockhold via tech fall (13-3)